Waltzing Maylene
by 5starWill
Summary: He was just a boy, living in the city of Petalburg. That was, before a recruiting sergeant gave him a tin hat and a gun, and sent him off to the war. -OneShot-


There was a time, back when I was a mere boy, that people of all ages were able to travel the world, free of danger, free of harm, free of the bad people that roamed the earth.

Back when I was able to waltz with my Maylene.

* * *

I was only 18, going on 19, when the war broke out. I was on the road back to Petalburg, when a man in khakis walked up to me.

"You there!" he started, "Why, you would look mighty fine in olive drab!"

"What do you mean by that, sir?" I asked.

"You hear there's a war going on?" He responded. Not knowing where he was going with this, I nodded my head with a "hmph."

"You know the king is in need of young men like you! You have a girl, son?"

"Why, yes I do." I said.

"You know that women love their military men! Why don't you consider it?" He gave me a card with an address and his name on it. He left in a flash, without saying goodbye. He was a recruiting sergeant, for certain.

What I didn't know, was that I was going to remember that day for the rest of my life.

* * *

I got back to my home in Petalburg, where I met with my Maylene. We shared a talk and some food. She left some time later back to her folks home. I decided not to tell her about the recruiting sergeant.

I went to sleep, with my trusted Pikachu on the end of the bed. He used to sleep next to me, although as I grew up, I found it rather... odd. So he found a new spot, curled up on the opposite end.

* * *

Some miles away, there was some war going on, between the regions of Kanto and Johto.

Kanto was where I once lived. I moved to live near my Maylene.

To waltz with my Maylene.

The war was going nowhere, with Kanto, Hoenn, and Kalos against Johto, Sinnoh, and Unova as the main competitors. It all started with some guy in high status living in Johto getting shot by some Hoenn good-for-nothing low-life. Some stupid reason to start a war.

Now, the war was at some stale-mate, with no one winning and no one losing. From what I hear, at least.

* * *

Some time passed, and I met the recruiting sergeant once again. Only this time, he had come to my home.

"Good day, sir! My name is Sergeant Doyal, and it seems that it is that time that the king needs more men for his armies!" The sergeant didn't seem to recognize me. "Here! Read this proclamation!" He shoved a bundle of papers in my hands, so I read them.

The first page read, "Hello, young man! You seem to have been selected for service in the King's finest Hoenn Expeditionary Force! You are expected to arrive at your local recruitment office within a week of receiving this message!" I was cut off by the sergeant, so I couldn't read more.

"So have you read it all? Splendid! I will be needing those papers back, chap!" He took the papers out of my hand. "Now you can come by my office any time between now and next Thursday! Goodbye, young lad! Cheerio!" He left again in a flash, just like last time.

I was too shocked to speak. This was _not_ our war. I still had a life to live, school to attend, friends to make.

A Maylene to waltz.

* * *

So I walked to Maylene's house, and told her the situation, how I was not going to be home, how I needed her to look after my trusted Pokemon.

How I may die.

She cried at the thought. She cried and cried and cried.

She cried until she had no tears left to cry out.

It broke my heart, seeing her like this. But I reminded her that I was strong, and chances were, I would make it out.

She smiled when I said this.

* * *

Seven days later, I walked to the recruiting office, and was sent to a training camp.

We were there for 2 months, before we were given a two-day break.

A two-day break, to see our loved ones before we were sent to war.

* * *

I spent all of my time with my loved Maylene and her family. We ate like kings, and talked about our past journeys as Pokemon trainers, and in May's case, a Pokemon coordinator.

At the docks, when our ship taking us to the war would be parting, I kissed my Maylene.

I waltzed with her, one last time.

My parting words were a simple, "I love you, May! Take care!" Then the boat left.

* * *

We were not told our destination until we were about half way there. That was when out platoon leader, a young gunnery-sergeant named Watson, came out of his room.

"Alright, men. You were all chosen for a new operation, taking place in the Sinnoh region. We will be meeting up with 2 more convoys carrying troops and supplies for the invasion." He paused for a moment. "I'm not sure what general in his right mind would decide that this would be a good idea, sending young men like you to fight a Kanto-man's war, but I wish you all the best of luck." That was reassuring, although many of the men on our ship were confident, especially after seeing the mass amount of other ships join the convoy. It seemed that every day, the small regiment that we started with grew and grew to the size of a division! It was a sight to see.

* * *

We thought this would be easy, attacking the unsuspecting Sunnyshore City in the Sinnoh region. Boy, were we wrong. The invasion started with a barrage from the many guns on the escorting destroyers and cruisers, which were supposed to do damage to the bunkers surrounding the coast. I was on the third wave of soldiers, so the fighting had slowed down a bit. Still, there was some machine-gun and mortar fire. None of which hit me, thankfully.

The beach was horrific. Bodies of my fellow soldiers scattered throughout, some with their Pokeballs still on them. I saw one corpse with his Poochyena crying over his body. I nearly cried myself, just seeing this. The initial attack on Sunnyshore was so bad, that the soldiers that survived nicknamed the city "Bloodyshore." That was good for moral, as you can guess.

We finally pushed the enemy off the beach, and we were able to dig our trenches and make fox-holes. After I was done digging mine, I wrote a letter to my mother:

 _Dear Mom,_

 _I'm sure you've heard by now that I was drafted into the military. A recruiting sergeant knocked on my door, gave me some papers, and left. When I went to the office, I was sent to basic training. They're not kidding about the "basic" part. They gave me a tin-hat and a gun, and sent me off to the war. Can you believe that? I was drafted into another man's war. Outrageous, I do say._

 _Anyway, I've landed in the Sinnoh region, where I've already seen combat. Don't worry, I'm fine for now. I haven't been been hurt, and I've actually made some friends._

 _I should probably stop writing now, they charge an extra $10 for every page, plus another 20 just to ship the darn thing._

 _Love always,_

 _Ash_

* * *

We were all told that after we got off the beach that a counter-attack was going to happen. And one did, starting with a huge artillery barrage. One shell landed right in my trench. I went unconscious, and I guess my comrades thought I was dead, because when I awoke, I was in the middle of the trench, my vision blurry, in a pool of a mix of mud and blood. I called for help, and eventually two men that I guessed were medics came to my side. They gave me some sort of medicine, and I fell asleep once again. In my sleep, I dreamed I was with my Maylene, helping her with her coordinating. Then we ate and talked at the dinner table.

Then, I waltzed with my Maylene once more.

* * *

I woke up in a bed. Well, I guessed it was a bed, because when I woke, I couldn't see much more than the sealing. I couldn't really move much, either. Really, I could only barely move my fingers, but I had no feeling from the waste-down.

Finally, I found the strength to move my head enough to look down at myself. What I saw made me nearly vomit. My legs were gone! There was nothing there, just stubs.

I started to panic, yelling for help. I broke out into sweat. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I wet myself, now that I think about it.

Eventually, someone came. He looked like a regular soldier, only with a stethoscope instead of a helmet.

"Private Ketchum, please calm down!" the man said.

"W-what in the world happened?!"

"A shell hit in your trench and knocked you out cold. We found you out there, and brought you to the newly established field hospital here in on the outskirts of Sunnyshore."

"What about my legs?! I thought I had legs!"

"You did, Mr. Ketchum. Stop being so irrational! They were a dangling mess, so we had to amputate them."

* * *

So I lost my legs from a bloody artillery shell. Fan-frickin'-tastic.

It was 1 long year before the war was declared over, and they finally sent me back home.

I wanted for what seemed like decades to go back home to see my Maylene, to be by her side, to hug her when she was feeling down.

To waltz with my Maylene.

* * *

However, when I got to the port, I was greeted by no one. Not a single person ran up to me and my legless self to hug me.

No one. Not even Maylene.

So I wheeled myself around in my wheelchair for a few minutes, hoping to see someone. Maybe It was just too crowded for them to get to the entrance?

I looked around, and after not seeing anyone I knew, I asked my escort to take me back home.

My escort was a reservist, so he never saw action in the war. He was a young private, maybe 17, at the most.

I figured that maybe there was someone at my house, waiting to surprise me. My friends and family did that sometimes. But there was no one there.

So my escort took me to Maylene's house. Maybe they just didn't know I was back.

When the door opened, Pikachu leaped into my lap. Maylene's family was home, so her father told me that May had left me for another man. I felt crushed.

So, once again, I went back home. This time, I stayed there. I had help into my room, where I slept, with Pikachu at the end of the bed, just like it should be.

* * *

Now, some 30 years later, I live alone, in the same house I lived in since I was a mere boy. I never knew where Maylene went to, but her parents and brother give me frequent visits.

I feel alone, but at least I have some company.

Children that run up and down these roads wonder who the old, legless man is that smiles to them when they run by. Some day, maybe they will understand.

* * *

 **Well, what'd you guys think? This was my first one-shot, it took me the whole day to write. I will be honest, I am pretty proud of the end result. Remember to leave a review to tell me how I did. If you didn't noticed already, this was inspired off of the son "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda," performed by The Pogues.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed! See ya'll later!**

 **-** Will


End file.
